Water utilities are confronted with a variety of integrity risks in their daily operations such as illicit practices in bidding, tampering with water meters or inefficient revenue generation. Particularly where urban areas sprawl rapidly and unplanned, the utilities are faced with capacity challenges that are often met by illicit but inevitable water services.

The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance, supported by UN-HABITAT is however through peer support partnerships between water and sanitation utilities, harnessing the skills, knowledge and goodwill within a 'mentor' utility to build the capacity of another utility – the 'mentee' – that needs assistance or guidance.

In rural settings safe and sufficient water is often a big challenge, and a far larger burden than in cities. Political commitment is often temporary as well as haphazard, institutions are often poorly equipped and staff under-capacitated for often complex service provision tasks. Demand-driven community managed systems or systems of self-supply are promoted systems that are more sustainable as well as less susceptible to corruption.